Lime & Pepper Vietnamese Chicken Salad

This simple recipe takes 15 minutes to prepare and uses ingredients found in Asian kitchens.

Ingredients:
2 (about 200g each) chicken breast fillets, halved lengthways
60ml (1/4 cup) fresh lime juice
1 tsp finely grated lime rind
1 long red chilli, seeded, finely chopped
1 tbs fish sauce
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs brown sugar
200g green beans, trimmed, cut into 2 inch lengths
2 baby cos lettuces, trimmed, shredded
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
110g (2 cups) trimmed bean sprouts
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
Olive oil

Method:
Place chicken in a glass or ceramic dish. Combine lime juice and rind, chillies, fish sauce, pepper and sugar in a bowl. Add half the mixture to chicken. Turn to coat. Marinate for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook beans in a saucepan of boiling water for 3 minutes or until bright green and tender-crisp. Refresh under cold running water. Drain. Combine beans, lettuce, tomato, bean sprouts and mint in a large bowl. Keep aside.
Heat a non-stick frying pan on high. Pour 2 tsp olive oil. Cook chicken for about 5 minutes each side or until cooked through. Thickly slice.Drizzle remaining lime juice mixture over salad and toss to combine. Divide salad among plates and top with chicken.

Photograph: Rob Palmer